Sekuphele isikhathi esingaba unyaka uJohane uMbhapathizi esejele. Kodwa usalokhu ezwa ngemisebenzi kaJesu emangalisayo. Cabanga ngendlela uJohane azizwa ngayo lapho abafundi bakhe bemxoxela ukuthi uJesu uvuse indodana yomfelokazi eNayini. Noma kunjalo, uJohane ufuna isiqinisekiso esivela kuJesu sokuthi zisho ukuthini zonke lezi zinto. Ngakho uJohane ubiza abafundi bakhe ababili. Ubabizelani? Ubathuma ukuba bayobuza uJesu: “Ingabe wena unguYe Ozayo, noma kumelwe silindele omunye?”—Luka 7:19.

Ingabe lo mbuzo uzwakala uxaka? UJohane uyindoda ezinikele, okwathi lapho ebhapathiza uJesu cishe eminyakeni emibili ngaphambili, wabona umoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kukaJesu, wezwa nezwi likaNkulunkulu lokumamukela. Asinaso isizathu sokucabanga ukuthi ukholo lukaJohane selubuthaka. Ukube bekunjalo, uJesu ubengeke akhulume kahle kangaka ngoJohane njengoba enza manje. Kodwa uma uJohane engangabazi, kungani ebuza uJesu lo mbuzo?

Kungenzeka ukuthi uJohane umane nje ufuna isiqinisekiso esivela kuJesu sokuthi unguMesiya. Ukwazi lokhu kungase kumqinise uJohane njengoba esagqunywe ejele. Kubonakala kunesinye isizathu esenza uJohane abuze lo mbuzo. Uyazazi iziprofetho eziseBhayibhelini ezibonisa ukuthi Ogcotshiwe KaNkulunkulu uyoba yinkosi nomsindisi. Kodwa, ngemva kwezinyanga eziningana uJesu abhapathizwa, uJohane usejele. Ngakho, uJohane ufuna ukwazi ukuthi ukhona yini oseza, ozolandela uJesu, ozogcwalisa zonke izinto okwakubikezelwe ukuthi zaziyofezwa uMesiya.

Esikhundleni sokumane atshele abafundi bakaJohane ukuthi, ‘Yebo, nginguYe Lowo Ozayo,’ uJesu unikeza ubufakazi bokuthi usekelwa uNkulunkulu ngokwelapha abantu abaningi abanezifo nokugula okuhlukahlukene. Ube esetshela abafundi bakaJohane: “Hambani nibikele uJohane lokho enikuzwayo nenikubonayo: Izimpumputhe seziyabona nezinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanzwa nezithulu ziyezwa, abafile bayavuswa futhi abampofu batshelwa izindaba ezinhle.”—Mathewu 11:4, 5.

Umbuzo kaJohane ungase ubonise ukuthi ulindele ukuba uJesu enze okungaphezu kwalokhu akwenzayo njengamanje, mhlawumbe amkhulule ejele. Nokho, uJesu utshela uJohane ukuba angalindeli okungaphezu kwalezi zimangaliso azenzayo.

Lapho abafundi bakaJohane behamba, uJesu uqinisekisa isixuku ukuthi uJohane ungaphezu kokuba umprofethi. “Uyisithunywa” sikaJehova okwaprofethwa ngaso kuMalaki 3:1. Uphinde abe umprofethi u-Eliya, okwabikezelwa ngaye kuMalaki 4:5, 6. UJesu uyachaza: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, phakathi kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akuzange kuvele omkhulu kunoJohane uMbhapathizi kodwa omncane kunabanye eMbusweni wamazulu mkhulu kunaye.”—Mathewu 11:11.

Amazwi kaJesu athi omncane kunabanye eMbusweni wamazulu mkhulu kunoJohane, abonisa ukuthi uJohane ngeke abe yingxenye yoMbuso wasezulwini. UJohane walungiselela uJesu indlela, kodwa ufa ngaphambi kokuba uKristu avule indlela eya ezulwini. (Hebheru 10:19, 20) Nokho uJohane ungumprofethi kaNkulunkulu othembekile, ozophila emhlabeni lapho sekubusa uMbuso kaNkulunkulu.